Teachers inside Harrisonburg, Vawon’t have to ask about students’ preferred pronouns after a lawsuit Tuesday.
Deborah Figliola, Kristine Marsh and Laura Nelson filed suit against the Harrisonburg City School Board in June 2022, saying their rights protected under the Commonwealth’s Free Speech Clause and the Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act were violated by coercive speech that they objected.
The lawsuit stemmed from the fact that the teachers were required to undergo training to ensure they complied with the school board’s nondiscrimination policy, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represented the teachers. The training involved teachers asking a student a question “preferred name” and pronouns and to use them always.
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The Alliance Defending Freedom won a legal victory in Rockingham County Circuit Court on Tuesday, representing Christian teachers challenging Harrisonburg City Public Schools. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Jeenah Moon)
The teachers were also expected to do this without informing the parents or asking their permission. Harrisonburg City Public Schools’ nondiscrimination policy threatened teacher discipline and even “dismissal” for noncompliance.
The two sides then reached an agreement granted by the school board the teachers religious accommodations Tuesday.
In the settlement, the school board maintained that they do not require staff to ask for or use students’ preferred names and pronouns and that they “do not advocate concealing or withholding information from parents.” The board agreed to continue educating staff about religious accommodations available.
ADF lawyer Kate Anderson, director of the ADF Center for Parental Rights, said all teachers “are protected under the Constitution to do their job in accordance with their religious beliefs, including the way they refer to their students and the essential information that they share with parents.”
“We are pleased to positively resolve this matter on behalf of our clients and ensure that the Harrisonburg City School Board will respect every teacher’s right to speak in accordance with her beliefs,” Anderson said.
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The Alliance Defending Freedom won a legal victory in Rockingham County Circuit Court on Tuesday, representing Christian teachers who challenged the Harrisonburg City Public Schools.
The Harrisonburg City Public School Board said in a statement: “The Harrisonburg City School Division is pleased to see this lawsuit resolved. From the beginning, our focus has been on supporting all students and employees with dignity and respect. Before the lawsuit began, we have been open to collaborating on accommodations for a variety of needs, as evidenced by our correspondence with ADF in early 2022.
“Our commitment is reflected in the school board’s policies and actions, including the adoption of a formal religious accommodations policy (Policy 682) over a year ago and the implementation of employee training in August. These efforts demonstrate our commitment to promoting respectful and inclusive education policies. environment.
“This case ends because the processes we have always encouraged – both informal and formal – have proven effective. We are pleased with this resolution and wish it could have been achieved without litigation.”
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ADF won a similar case in November in which a Virginia school board fired a teacher for refusing to use a student’s pronouns.
An ADF lawyer said this Fox News digital at the time the settlement had “seismic implications”.
“It protects all Virginia teachers and its rationale should guide other courts addressing similar issues,” said ADF President and CEO Kristen Wagoner.
The Virginia-based West Point School Board agreed to pay a former high school teacher, Peter Vlaming, $575,000 in damages and attorney fees after he refused to call a transgender student by their preferred pronouns.
